Spanish Interior Minister underlines Morocco’s efforts in the fight against illegal immigration

Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido, on Wednesday in Athens, underscored Morocco's huge effort in fighting illegal immigration, describing it as «fundamental» for controlling the inflow of illegal immigrants towards the European Union (EU).

«Morocco deserves, in our opinion, a special mention» for its efforts in this area, said Zoido in a meeting with Greek Minister for Migration Policy Dimitris Vitsas, and Greek Deputy Minister of civil defence Nikos Toskas.

According to a statement issued by the Spanish Interior Ministry, Zoido also highlighted «the effective collaboration» between Spain and Morocco, which has yielded positive results in the fight against illegal immigration.

The Spanish Minister noted that it is «a priority» for the European Union to recognize the importance of efforts made by migrant transit countries, notably Morocco, to manage migratory inflows.

He said, in the same context, that Spain believes that «the only effective response» to the migratory phenomenon is a holistic approach based on prevention with a view to providing adequate and balanced solutions to the different facets of this issue.